I particularly like meals that are wrapped in veggies. Sushi is no exception, nor are these Veggie Pinwheel Wrapswhich I wish I could have for lunch every day. With that said it comes as no surprise that I make cabbage rolls for my family every now and then.

I'm not Polish so my recipe is by no means authentic. Like all my recipes, I encourage you to be inspired, improvise as much as you would like and most importantly, make it your own. Add or take out more/less spices and/or herbs. Do what best suits your family's needs and taste buds. When I feel like my kids haven't been meeting their phytronutrient quota, I'll chop up handfuls of spinach and throw it into this recipe. Nothing Polish about spinach - just intuitive cooking (from a nutritional stand point anyway).

I choose to replace rice with quinoa because my husband and kids eat a lot of rice already. I've mentioned before that I strive for my family to be variety focused. Quinoa at lunch and rice at dinner will provide my family with different nutrients. However, rice at lunch and rice noodles at dinner (it’s still rice!) will not. I strive for 30+ different foods for my family to eat per week. However if you don't like quinoa feel free to stick with a more original version and replace it with rice. :)

What you'll doIn a medium pot, over high heat bring one cup of water to a boil. Add the quinoa, stir to prevent quinoa from sticking to the pot, lower heat to medium and cover the pot. Let simmer for 15 minutes stirring every few minutes to make sure the quinoa doesn't stick and the water hasn't completely evaporated. Set aside quinoa and let cool.

Fill a large pot with water and place the entire head of cabbage in the water. Over high heat bring the water to a rolling boil and cook the cabbage for about five minutes. Turn off the heat and rinse the cabbage under cold water until the leaves are cool enough to handle.

Carefully pull apart 12 leaves from the cabbage. Some say it's easier to start from the core but I start wherever I can find a loose section of the leaf. Remove coarse veins.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take about 1/3 cup of meat filling and place it onto the centre of a cabbage leaf. Fold sides inward and roll the end, wrapping the meat inside to form a roll. Place the raw cabbage roll in an oven safe dish. Repeat with the remaining 12 leaves.

Pour crushed tomatoes (or in my case, marinara sauce) over the raw cabbage rollls. Cover and bake in the oven for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until the leaves are tender.

Have you made these in a crock pot? If so, how long did you cook them? Thinking of making them for an extended family get together.

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*While recipes in this website do not directly contain the following food allergens: Eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, seafood (fish, crustaceans and shellfish), sesame, soy, added sulphites, tree nuts and wheat, there is always a possibility that the ingredients listed in the recipe may have come in contact with one or more of the listed food allergens. It is highly recommended that you read ingredient labels carefully when purchasing products and to consult your physician if you have questions regarding whether or not a food should be consumed.